Conveyer



June 30, 1925.

M. J. MILMOE CONVEYER Original Filed March 31. 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 AM a% June 30, 1925.

M. J. MILMOE CONVEYER nal Filed March 51. 1919 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 30, 1925.

UNITED TATES PAl MICHAEL J. MILMOE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 F. B. 'nnnmoron COM- PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COBPOMTIZQN 01E ILLINO.

CGN'VEYEE.

Original application flied March 31, 1919, Serial No. 286,846. Divided and this application filed September 15, 1920, Serial No. dlOfiiOO.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MICHAEL J MILMoE, tlh

a citizen of the United States, residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Conveyors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to conveying mechanism especially applicable for feeding bricks of butter and similar material and has for its object the provision of mechanism. of the class named which shall be of improved construction and operation.

The invention is exemplified in the combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings and described in the following specification, and it is more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

This application is a division of application, Serial No. 286,345, filed March 31, 1919, now Patent 1,515,311, Nov. 11, 1924.

In the drawings Fig. lis a. front elevation of a wrapping machine;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a wrapping machine and showing a longitudinal section of the conveyer embodying the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical section showing parts of the conveyer in a different position from that shownin Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view of the conveyer and associated parts.

While the present invention is applicable to a variety of articles, it is especially useful in transporting bricks of butter, oleomargarine, and similar material which present peculiar difficulties in handling, and especially in feeding to wrapping machines where a continuous supply of the articles must be kept in position for the wrapping mechanism.

In the drawings various parts of a wrapping machine are illustrated, the parts being supported on a framework 1 which also carries the conveyer mechanism for feeding bricks 13 of butter or similar material to the wrapping mechanism. These bricks 13 are fed to the wrapping machine along a slideway comprising a air of angle rails 14 and 15, the bricks being placed upon the slideway in any suitable manner from fed forwardly in the slideway by a movable plate 16, Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, which is preferably of wood as are also the angle bars 14 and 15 and the other parts which contact with the bricks, for the reason that wood is not liable to tarnish and adheres less readily to butter and similar substances than does metal. The plate 16 may be carried by a metal plate 17 having strengthening bars 18, and supporting blocks 19 and 20, Fig. 1, are rigidly secured to the metal plates 17 and 18. The wood plate 16 is removably held in place on the metal plate 17 by spring clamps 16'. The plates are held from lateral and longitudinal movement relative to one another by pins 17' which. project into openings in the bottom face of the plate 16, the openings having their inner ends rounded to prevent accumulation of foreign matter. While the wet to prevent sticking of the butter thereto,-and it is therefore desirable to keep the plate in watrr when. the machine is not in use to prevent injury thereto from alternate wetting and drying. The spring clamps 16 and centering pins 17 provide means for holding the plate in place so that it is readily removable, and the holding means requires no screw or'bolt holes or other depressions to accumulate dirt. The depression for receiving the pin 17' does-not go deeply into the wood and is on a face of the plate which is completely covered during operation of the machine and never comes intocontact with the butter. The rails 141 and 15 are also detachably held in place by spring clamps 15', similar to clamps 16, so that these rails may also be readily removed and replaced. The blocks 19 and 20. are bored, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, to receive a rod 21 which slides longitudinally through the blocks 19 and 20. Extending outwardly from the frame 1, beneath the slideway formed by the bars 14 and 15, is a channel bracket 22 for supportin'g the slideway and which is provided with pedestals 23 on which the bars 14 and 15 are mounted. The slideway and bracket 22 may be made of any desired len h and provided with a requisite number 0 pedestals 23 throughout its length to form a e forming mechanism. The bricks are machine is in operation the plate 16 is kept I proper support for the slideway. The

racket 22 carries also pivot blocks 24 on ing their upper ends pivoted to the rod 21, as shown in Fig. 1. The inner end of the rod 21 is pivoted to an arm 26, Fig. 2,.

which is rigidly carried by a shaftf27 journaled in bearings 28 and 29 on the top plate 30 of the frame 1. The end of the shaft 27, 0 posite the arm 26, carries an arm 31 rigid y secured thereto which is pivotally connected at its outer end to a link 33, the lower end of which link is bifurcated, as shown in Fig. 2, and is positioned astride the main drive shaft 4. A cam roller 34 is carried by the link 33 and extends into a cam groove 35 on a cam wheel 36 keyed to the drive shaft 4. The rotation of.the

. cam wheel 36 will oscillate the arm 26 and impart an up and down movement to the rod 21. The shape of the cam groove 35 is such that during approximately one-half of the revolution of the main drive shaft 4, the rod 21 will be in its uppermost position, while in approximately the other alf of the revolution, the rod 21 will be in a lowered position.

The block 19 which supports the plate 16 is pivotally connected with a link 37 carried at the upper end of an arm 38, the arm being secured to a shaft 39 journaled in bearings 40 on the-frame 1, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. On the end of the shaft 39, opposite the arm 38, is a downwardly and inwardly extending arm 42 which is provided with a cam roller 43 at its inner end which travels in a groove 44 ina cam wheel 45 also secured to the main shaft 4. The rotation of the cam 45 imparts a longitudinal oscillation to the plate 16 at the same time that itis vertically oscillated by the cam wheel 36 and associated mechanism. The two cams are so related that the plate 16 is moved rearwardly while in its lower position, illustrated in Fig. 3, in which the bricks of butter 13 are permitted to rest upon the angle bars 14 and 15. During the forward movement of the plate 16, that is to the right, as viewed in Fig. 2, the plate is held in its uppermost position so that the bricks are supported by the plate 16, as illustrated in Fig. 4. It will be apparent that this combined reciprocation of the plate 16- will feed the bricks inwardly at each upward movement of the late. This inward movement of the bricks continually moves the innermost one into engagement with a stop plate 46, from which position the bricks are moved downwardly to be wrapped by mechanism described in application, Serial No. 286,345 referred to above. The longitudinal reciprocation of the plate 16 is referably'of greater amplitude than the wldth of one of the bricks 13 so that when the train of bricks is brought to a stop by the abutment plate 46, the bar 16 will still move inwardly a short distance,'the bar sliding beneath the bricks for a distance equal to the excess of movement of the bar over the width of the bricks. This excess movement of the bar 16 will close up any space between the bricks in the slideway, so that each movement of the bar will be sure to brin one of the bricks into position against the a utment plate 46. The abutment plate 46 is provided with end wings 47 slightly curved outwardly at their free edges, as shown at 48, to guide the bricks of butter into position between the wings 47. In its forward position the plate 16 carries the bricks of butter into the osition shown in Fig. 2, the forward end 0 the plate 16 extending under the foremost brick, as indicated in that figure. When the plate 16 is withdrawn the foremost brick of butter is received from the end of the plate and suitably wrapped by mechanism fully described in my ap lication referred to above. It will be seen t at conveyor mechanism is thus provided which will feed the bricks to the wrapping machine in a continuous series and which will handle the bricks automatically and without becoming ,smeared with --the material or injuring the articles carried by the conveyor.

After withdrawal of plate 16 the brick at first remains suspended between the abutment member 46 and the next adjacent brick until the support 91 is moved upwardl by the cam 103 to engage the lower face of the brick. The plate 106 and support 91 are then moved downwardly in unison with one another to displace the brick from its position in line with the series. The plate 106 is supported by an arm 107 actuated by a cam fork 110. The fork 110 is provided with a cam roller traveling in groove 112 in cam wheel 113 as shown in Fig. 2.

1. In combination, an elongated sup ort for articles to be fed, an abutment mem er for engaging an article at the end of a series upon said support, means, for shifting said sup ort' into and out of engagement with $8.1 articles, and means for moving said support in the direction of said abutment member while the articles are en aged by said support the movement of sai support toward said abutment serving to grip the endmost article between said abutment and the next adjacent article to support said endmost article when said elongated su port is shifted out of engagement with sai endmost article.

2. Mechanism for feeding articles to a wrappin machine, comprising an elongated support or holding a series of said articles,

an elongated member movable into and outv ing means and thus support said endmost article when said elongated member is moved out of engagement therewith.

3. In combination, a pair of spaced rails for supporting a series of articles to be fed, an elongated member arranged between said rails, an elongated bar on which said member is slidably mounted, swin ing links for supporting said bar, a cam or oscillating said links to impart a periodic up and down movement to said bar, a lever for shifting said elon ated article-engaging member alon said ar, and a cam operating in timed relation with said first-mentioned cam for causing said lever to move said elongated engaging member in one direction while incontact with the article to be fed and in an opposite direction while out of contact with said article.

4. *Feeding mechanism for a wrapping machine, comprising a pair-of spaced rails for supporting a series of articles to be fed to said machine, an abutment member for limiting the movement of said articles toward said machine, said member being spaced fromthe ends of said rails a Suficient distance to permit an article to be removed from said series between the ends of said rails and said abutment member, a plate arranged between said rails and movable into and out of engagement with said articles, and means for shifting said plate to cause the end thereof to move an article into engagement with said abutment member and to support said article in a position Y beyond the ends of said rails.

5. In a wrapping machine, a support for a series of articles to be fed to said machine, means for moving an article beyond the end of said support, and means for withdrawing said moving means to permit said article to be fed to said machine.

6. Conveying mechanism for bricks of butter like material comprising an elongated member having an upper facing of wood constituting a surface for supporting said bricks, means for moving sald member in the direction of transportation of said bricks, and an abutment member for limiting the movementof said bricks in said direction, said moving means being arranged to shift said elongated member toward said abutment member while said bricks are held against movement by said abutment member so that the endmost brick in said serieswill be held between said abutment and the next adjacent brick.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 29 day of July, A. 1D. 1920.

LJ. H a MOE. 

